


If Tonight is the End

by RogueWolf



Category: RWBY
Genre: Angst, Bickering, Bittersweet Ending, Kissing, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-11
Updated: 2016-09-11
Packaged: 2018-08-14 13:17:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8015491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RogueWolf/pseuds/RogueWolf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>He had missed this, James realized. Qrow had been gone for almost an entire year this time with no check-ins and James had spent most of that year wondering if their last kiss was going to actually be their last kiss.</em>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	If Tonight is the End

**Author's Note:**

> Based off IronwoodisBae's prompt:  
>  _“I don’t know if I should kiss you or slap you.”_
> 
> For the Ironqrow fic drop. Enjoy!

“Honestly, Qrow, I don’t know if I should kiss you or slap you.”

Qrow grinned from his spot by the window. “How about both? Thought I’ll admit that I prefer kissing.”

“One of these days I’m going to toss you out of one of my ships,” James threatened.

“Oh no,” Qrow drawled, “not that. Anything but that. How will I ever survive.”

There was stifled laughter and James turned to see Ruby and Yang leaning against the open doorway.

“Ruby. Yang. What are you doing here?” James looked at his watch. “Shouldn’t you be in class right now?”

Ruby shook her head. “Professor Port got called out on a mission last minute so class was cancelled.”

“So we decided to come visit Uncle Qrow instead,” Yang cut in. Her eyes slid back and forth between James and Qrow and James mentally kicked himself for leaving the door open.

“I see,” James said, and folded his arms behind his back. “Would you two mind giving Qrow and me a few minutes alone? We need to finish discussing something.”

“Sure,” Yang said, but there was a glint in her eyes that made James uncomfortably aware of the fact that he was fucking her uncle.

“We’ll meet you at Ci-Ci’s, ok Uncle Qrow?” Ruby smiled hopefully at Qrow. “They’re having a special on their fro-yo this weekend and Yang wants to try their new flavour.”

“Sure, kiddo,” Qrow said.

Ruby beamed and waved and then they were gone, Yang _considerately_ closing the door behind them.

“That was fun,” Qrow said, and James turned to give him a look.

“You’re not off the hook yet,” Qrow,” James said warningly.

Qrow sighed. “Jim, I know you’re upset, but I can’t tell you every time I’m going on a mission. They’re highly confidential for a reason.”

“I’m a general and a headmaster, Qrow, don’t act like I don’t know how missions work,” James snapped. He ran a hand through his hair. “I know you can’t tell me when you leave, but you can damn well tell me when you get back,” he said.

Qrow held up his hands. “I was about to message you Jimmy, honestly.”

“Right. And were you going to tell me that you were confined to Medical for three days straight once you arrived.”

Qrow blanched and James’ hands fisted at his side. “You weren’t, were you?”

“I didn’t want you to worry,” Qrow said quickly. “You were busy and the school year had just started. You couldn’t afford to leave so suddenly.”

“I can’t afford to lose you either!” James shouted.

Qrow stilled. “James, it was just a minor wound,” Qrow said, but his voice was shaky.

James shook his head. “Minor wounds don’t get you three days in Medical, Qrow.” His shoulders slumped and he looked at his hands, at his knuckles, white from how tight he’d been clenching his hand. “You could have died, Qrow. And I wouldn’t have been there with you.”

“But I didn’t, Jim. I didn’t and I healed and I’m here, ok?” James closed his eyes, unable to control his emotions. “Jim, please,” Qrow pleaded, “look at me.”

James opened his eyes to see Qrow only a few feet away, face pale and haggard and the edge of a bruise peeking out from the collar of his shirt. And suddenly all James could think about was that this was who Qrow was. Somehow who risked his life every day, somehow who James could lose at any moment with absolutely no warning.

“See?” Qrow said, “I’m fine, completely-”

James kissed him, cutting off Qrow’s words and yanking him closer so that he could swallow his words and kiss him hard enough he’d never lose the taste of him. Qrow squeaked in surprise and then his hands were in James’ hair, pulling and tugging until James had to hiss in a quiet breath of pain.

“Ozpin’s not going to like it if we get the windows dirty,” Qrow said. He mouthed at James’ jaw and James’ hands tightened on Qrow’s hips.

“Ozpin doesn’t need to know,” James told him, and then he was shoving Qrow backward, his mouth on Qrow’s as he bit at his bottom lip.

Qrow grunted as his back hit the glass but he only wrapped his arms around James’ neck, tugging him down further into the kiss.

“I see you went with the kissing course of action,” Qrow gasped when James pulled away.

James ignored him in favor of tearing Qrow’s shirt apart, uncaring of the buttons scattering across the floor.

“James!” Qrow protested, but James ignored him to finish ripping Qrow’s shirt open until he could run his hand down Qrow’s chest. “Damnit James, I liked this shirt!”

“You have five other shirts that are exactly the same, Qrow.” James pressed his nose to the hollow of Qrow’s throat and breathed in Qrow’s scent. “You have ten more at my apartment and I know you have a spare in Glynda’s room too.”

“That’s not the point,” Qrow protested weakly. He dug his fingers into James’ coat and held on tightly. “I can’t walk out of here without a shirt.”

“It’ll be fine, Qrow,” James said, and then his mouth settled over one of Qrow’s nipple and Qrow forgot about his shirt.

 “You know,” he gasped a few minutes later, “this isn’t kissing.”

James grazed his teeth over the flat of Qrow’s nipple, enjoying the way Qrow shivered. “Would you prefer it if I were slapping you?”

Qrow thumped his fist against James’ back. “I’d prefer it if you actually did something other than ruining my clothes.”

“That can be arranged,” James said, and then he was hoisting Qrow up, shoving at his legs until they were wrapped around his waist and pushing him harder against the windows.

“Still not kissing,” Qrow said with a smirk.

James sighed. “Qrow, you talk too much,” and he covered Qrow’s mouth with his own.

He had missed this, James realized. Qrow had been gone for almost an entire year this time with no check-ins and James had spent most of that year wondering if their last kiss was going to actually be their _last_ kiss.

He pulled away and rested his forehead against Qrow’s. “I can’t lose you,” he whispered. “I couldn’t bear it.”

“Jim,” Qrow tangled his fingers throw James’ hair and tugged his head up until he could see his eyes. “I’m not going anywhere, ok? I promise.”

James shook his head and Qrow’s fingers tightened in his hair. “You can’t promise that, Qrow, you can’t.”

“No,” Qrow agreed softly, “you’re right, I can’t. But Jim,” Qrow pressed a gentle kiss to James’ lips and rested their foreheads together again, “I can at least promise I won’t leave you tonight.”

James said nothing, just held tighter to Qrow and buried his face in the crook of Qrow’s shoulder and neck, suddenly ready to just go home and ignore his responsibilities and duties for the next few hours.

If tonight was all Qrow could promise him, he’d take as much as he could.

**Author's Note:**

> [You can find me on tumblr here](http://roguewolfprints.tumblr.com)


End file.
